The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-03-19
SUPERSTITIONS OF ENGINEERS.
Railroad Men " no Obev Omens-Tho White
Rabbit-A Pilots Story,

"Railroad engineers, as q rule, are .
superstitious class of persons" said an
old railroad man. "They have foolish
fancies and attach importance to signs
aid warnings; but l know of instances
mere hundreds Of lives have been saved
by engineers fancies and superstitions.
For over thirty years have been q rail-
road conductor, and during that time I
have seen and heard many things that
under ordinary circumstances l would
have discredited. One of the best en-
gincerS that ever ran on the West Shore
Railroad was q man named Bronson.
One morning, just before starting time,
while he sat chatting with the fireman,
thu engine bell suddenly rang out three
times. As neither the engineer nor fire.
man had touched the bell, and as no
other person was on or around the engine,
the men felt troubled over the stran 20
circumstance. They regarded it as an
i'll omen and both men were filed with
dread. The rain started on its journey,
and mile after mile was quickly Travelled,
the engineer meanwhile keeping an
anxious lookout for danger. When
within about an eighth of u mile Of a
rocky cut, the bell again, apparently of
its own accord, sounded three ominous
notes, clear and distinct. The engineer
beside himself with terror, exclaimed
My God, Bill | It's warning Ct some
great danger, and believe it's our duty
to stop. Pm ding to shut her down il
1 lose my place by it, The engine came
to q sudden standstill, and within ten
feet of the engine, lying across the track
was a great rock several tons in weight,
which had become looscned by recent
storm, and broken away from the great
mass above. A terrible calamity was
averted and hundreds of lives saved.
"And now III tell you of another in
stance" continued the same speaker, ''oi
how an engineer lost his life by not heed
ing a voice of warning One of the most
careful and trusted engineers on our road
was James WEIGH. One morning his wife
noticed that he was not in his usua
cheerful frame of mind, and questioned
him about it. He told her that he wa;
not i'll, but he said he had a premonitios
that he would be killed during the day
His wife, being a sensible woman, did
not sheer or laugh at his fears, begged
him to stay at home that day. Welch,
who was u disbeliever in signs and
omens, laughed at his fancies and wen,
to his death. Two hours later the en-
gineer was living, crushed to death, a,
the bottom Of deep ravine."
"Yes, l know such things to be true,
said another man. "Silly as it may
seem, / wouldn't run tram after see
ing q white rabbit cross the track. with
out first stopping to investigate, il
were to be made president of the road
remember one dark night We were
scooting across country at apretty lively
rate. when all of q sudden, | saw white
rabbit dart across the track just in from
of the engine. The wee thing gave m,
such look in that brief second tha
something compelled ME to stop thu
train. The conductor and train mer
came rushing up to the engine to fnd
out tic cause of our sudden halt, and il
didn't take long to find out either. Onl!
few feet ahead on the track were SOME
heavy logs. They had most likely beer
placed there and tied down by tramps
who in the confusion of a fri@htful &C
cidcnt, such as would have taken place
if / hadn't stopped the train, would
have robbed and plunicrc the dead
and dying passengers.